The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-10-10
The Volunteer Wins Both Races
Easily.
THE THISTLE OUTS ALLIED
The Superiority of the CenterbOartI
Over the KeeI-FuiI and Detailed
Account of Each Race.

Soon after the arrival of the San
Pablo from San Francisco late Saturday
afternoon there was much excitement
around town when it became known
that the American yacht Volunteer had
beat the Scotch yacht Thistle in both
races for the Americas Cup. 1t was
thought that the Thistle might have
been able to win one of the two races.
However, from the reports, she seemed
to have no chance at all.
THE FIRST RACE.
The first race took place September 9th,
over the inside course of the New York
Yacht Club, and the Yankee sloop won in
fine style, the Thistle's defeat being Sc
verer than that received by the Genesta.
The distance was thirty-eight miles. There
was not wind enough to start the boats I'M
til two hours after the time announced in
the official programme. When it came 1t
was light, but there was enough of it to
enable the yachts to complete the course
we'll within the time limit-in fact, with
two hours to spare.
1t was Just the kind of weather which
the admirers of the Thistle had predicted
would secure victory for the Scotch boat,
and it was just the sort of weather the adj
mirers of the Volunteer most dreaded.
Under the circumstances, nobody would
have been surprised had the Thistle won.
Everybody expected at least a close race,
but after the first twenty minutes it was
no race at all. 1t became a procession,
with the Thistle falling further and further
astern. From start to finish the Thistle
stood no chance of winning. The Volun-
teer went over the course i'll hours, So
minutes and IL seconds. The ThiStle's
time was hours, II minutes and 46M
seconds. Thus the Thistle was beaten by
10 minutes and 1891 seconds, as, after
crediting her with the five seconds time al
lowance due her, by 19: 23A. 1t was a ire
mendous beating to administer to the
fastest boat, by long odds, in Great Britain.
The figures may be discounted somewhat
by allowing for the lost time by the Thistle
when the wind played her false and de-
serted her, and by making deductions for
the delays caused her by ill-managed
steamboats,, but after all this is done the
conclusion is irresistible that in windward
work, even in light weather, the Volunteer
is a much better boat than the Thistle.
Half the distance from the starting line
the Sandy Hook lightship was windward
work, and over this part of the course the
Volunteer gained 90 minutes and 4512
seconds on the Thistle. On the return
course, after rounding the Sandy Hook
lightship, for one-half of the distance the
yachts had the wind free and for the rest
of the way it was dead aft. Under these
conditions the Thistle cut down the lead
of the Volunteer 1 minute and 2614 sec
onds, bnt by applying the same impartial
judgment as was shown the Thistle in the
earlier comparison, this is fully accounted
for by the fact that as the wind was
freshed a bit astern the Thistle received
more benefit from it than did the Volun-
teer, and the latter on the run home was
more hampered by the close proximity of
the steamers, they having deserted the
Thistle in order to be in at the finish. So
it is fair to regard the Volunteer as fairly
equal TO the Thistle in running free and
running before the wind III light weather,
and on the latter point of sailing at least it
was claimed for the Thistle, and generally
conceded that she would prove superior to
the Volunteer.
A fiotilla of over 200 steamers, yachts
and tugs, with about 80, 900 people aboard,
followed the racers, but the number OF
spectators on the water was doubled by the
crowds on both sides of the narrows. The
slopes back of Fort Tomkins were covered
black with crowds of sightseers On the
shore, all along was thick with them
Across at Fort Hamilton, the hotel balco-
MES were crammed with men and women,
and the walls of the fort were hidden from
the water. So great was the rush for
places that many Staten islanders put out
IN rowboats a little distance to get a
glimpse of the struggle between the IA
nous sloops.
The following table shows the official
record of the race thus:
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